Songwriter Billy Steinberg has shared stories of some of the biggest hits he created alongside musical partner Tom Kelly.
The pair wrote many big hits of the 1980s including The Bangles Eternal Flame, Madonna’s Like a Virgin, Heart’s Alone, Whitney Houston’s So Emotional, and I Drove All Night which was recorded by Roy Orbison, Cyndi Lauper and Celine Dion.
Sitting down with songwriter Toby Gad for his video series Songs You Know Steinberg revealed he’s only ever met Madonna once in his life, and it wasn’t a great experience.
“I did meet Madonna once in my life, and she wasn’t particularly friendly.” Steinberg shared.
He shared that his singular encounter with the superstar was at a birthday party for her manager Freddy DeMann. DeMann notably managed Michael Jackson, Lionel Ritchie, Billy Idol, Shakira, and Madonna during his long career in the music industry.
Steinberg was hanging out with co-writer Kelly and writer and producer Stephen Bray at the party. Bray and Madonna had been a couple in New York in the early 80s, but their professional relationship lasted much longer than their romantic entanglement. He co-wrote with Madonna many of her hits including Angel, Into the Groove, True Blue, Express Yourself and Causing a Commotion.
“She was with Warren Beatty, that was her boyfriend at the time.” Steinberg recalled.
When Stephen Bray introduced Madonna to the two writers behind her breakthrough hit, Beatty laughed, assuming that Madonna must have previously met the duo. Surely Madonna knows the guys who wrote her massive hit?
“I said to her ‘Madonna I’ve wanted to meet you for so long.'” Steingberg recounted. “She just said ‘And now you did’ and walked away.”
Gad said when he worked with Madonna on her Rebel Heart album, he asked the singer why she’d treated Steingberg and Kelly so poorly, and suggested she call Billy Steinberg to apologise, but she refused to consider such a move.
Steinberg said that even though he’d not had a good experience of meeting the superstar, the success they enjoyed with the song had propelled all their careers.
Steinberg also shared that only he only met Whitney Houston on one occasion, but it was a different experience.
“She was very nice.” he said.
Toby Gad’s no slouch himself when it comes to writing pop tunes. His work includes massive hits for John Legend, Beyonce, The Veronicas, Fergie and Madonna. His collaborations with Madonna include Living for Love, Bitch I’m Madonna and 10 other tunes.
Watch the episode and hear some amazing stories from one of the great writers of pop tunes.
